


Dollhouse

by Anonymous



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, It is mostly just friendship at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:46:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8841583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Pacifica was a doll.





	1. The Doll

**Author's Note:**

> Originally had this on a different site. Moved it here because I like the way Archive works more and I'll be more inclined to update it.

Pacifica was a doll.

Her skin was carefully stitched gossamer silk, flawless and smooth; her hair was composed of fine golden strands intricately woven into a wave of sunshine that rolled over her shoulders effortlessly. Bright blue eyes were embroidered onto her face along with perfect pink lips and a small, ladylike nose while dark eyelashes jutted out all around the whites of her eyes. A soft lilac, or perhaps more of a violet, sleeveless dress encased her body like a luxurious and expensive hug. Dark purple fluff of indeterminable origin and yet still recognizable quality lined the bottom hem of her dress and circled around her shoulders. Pearls were carefully shaped into the shoes that rested upon her delicately stitched feet. Small diamonds were sewn to the lobes of her ears- dangling down to brush along her jawline. Atop her heart-shaped face sat a large purple bow to match her dress. Without a doubt, Pacifica was a doll.

The most beautiful doll that had ever been made.

She sat upon her shelf in the light, with exquisite wallpaper resting against her back and supporting her from toppling over like the boneless mass of fabric and stuffing she was. Pacifica never left her shelf, too expensive and precious to be played with by some child. Instead the doll stayed where she was, letting others bask in her beauty. It was her favor to them- _the masses below_ \- gracing them with a standard to dream of, aspire to, and _never achieve_. Admittedly the blonde had never seen the masses, she couldn't see anything beyond her shelf but she assumed they were there and lived based off that fact. She loved it and yet sometimes she failed to stifle the desire to explore what was beyond her shelf, which was _far_ too unladylike to actually do.

Continuing to smile, the doll sat on her shelf and basked in her supposed praise and adoration. Her lounging was interrupted by a grumbling coming from near the edge of her shelf. Without moving, she glanced towards the ledge. She couldn't see anyt- A furry brown paw grasped the top of her shelf. Fuzzy fibers brushing across the carefully polished wood and wiping away at the layer of dust coating everything. Dust? Was she covered in dust as well? _How unsightly!_ But she'd have to deal with that later.

The amount of fur was growing over by the edge. Increasing in mass, the new arrival huffed in irritation and exertion as it seemed to shake from moving so much. Eventually a strangely curved shape rose into her sightline- its face was white with a blue pine tree in the middle- what an odd face. Pacifica supposed that not every toy could be as beautiful as her and that this trespasser had best return to the masses. They were not fit to be upon this high shelf. But then the dome continued to rise and it occurred to her that it was in fact only a hat. How silly she had been.

Beneath the hat was a fuzzy blob of fur or hair that sprouted out like a weed and beneath that was a fluff covered face with two dark bead eyes looking at the ledge he was trying to surmount. Having yet to notice her, the visitor was in the perfect position for the doll to observe. He was very furry, absolutely covered in brown fuzz. It didn't seem very luxurious so she supposed he was a commoner. A rounded snout was sewn to his face and lazy embroidery formed the lines of his mouth. As more of his being came into view, Pacifica took a moment to examine the only piece of clothing he wore aside from his hat- a navy bubble vest was casually stitched to his torso. It looked so cheap and she dreaded even imagining what the fabric felt like.

Admittedly, the blonde decided as the fellow toy had finally gotten atop the ledge, he was rather cute- in a _commonfolk_ kind of way. As he stood her blue eyes fell upon his small, fluffy poof of a tail; so he was a bear. Not exactly her type but any company was good company after so long. Straightening her back the doll shifted her gaze back forward and smiled her winning smile. How would he approach her?

The sounds of stretching occurred from where he was but the blonde didn't let her gaze waver-she was perfectly in control, because she was perfect. His back apparently popped as he let out a sigh and a soft mumble of, "Ah, I needed that." Without a doubt the bear was turning around now, any moment now he would gasp and- Footsteps interrupted her train of thought. Jumping straight to introducing himself? He was surprisingly forward. But when the toy entered her vision he wasn't even looking at her. Pacifica watched in shock as he walked right past her to look down at wherever it was he'd come from.

_How- how rude!_ The bear let out a hum as he reached into the back of his vest to pull out a large folded piece of paper. Some shiny grey spike was produced from a pocket as he began scratching it against the paper.

Frowning, Pacifica glared at the bear boy before adjusting her face back to perfect and coughing loudly. Jumping slightly the toy spun around to look everywhere behind him; when his dark eyes fell upon the doll, the blonde fought to keep her face consistent. Putting away his tools the bear looked around again before approaching the motionless girl.

"Huh, weird," he said as he leaned in close to her face. It seemed he was quite bold after all. Running a furred finger down her cheek, the bear looked at the dust he collected. Pacifica fought a blush at the incredibly intimate action. "This one's been motionless for a while, huh?" The toy was speaking to himself. His face was right in front of hers and he was still ignoring her. Pacifica fought down her glare. _She was perfect she was perfect she was perf-_ Standing up and turning away the bear absently scratched at his head as he mumbled something. "Kinda creepy."

"WHAT?!" Pacifica screeched as she stood to confront the dumb bear who'd just insulted her. A cloud of dust went airborn with her sudden movement and so did the bear.

"WHA-AAAAHHHH!" He screamed while flailing his fuzzy arms about and stumbling backwards. The toy tripped and fell back just short of the edge.

"How dare you call me creepy!" The doll shouted indignantly as she placed her gloved hands on her hips.

"Yo-you talk!" was the bear's only response.

"Ugh! Duh!" The blonde was rather fed up with him at this point in time. She couldn't believe she'd thought he was cute.

"B-but you're a-a toy!" Apparently the bear was actually quite stupid.

"Ohmigawd!" She said mockingly slapping her hands to her cheeks. "I AM! Newsflash! _So Are You_!"

"N-No!" He said as he began to climb back to his feet.

"You're trying to tell me you aren't a plush bear?" the blonde said with every bit of sass she could muster- which was quite a lot.

"No- no! I mean, none of the others talk! None of the others move!" The bear said while running a paw through the thick part of fur above his forehead. " _Holy- You_!" He spun to look at her and grasped her hands off her hips. "You can move! You can talk!"

Frowning the doll yanked her delicate hands out of his massive and blunt paws. "Yay," she said dryly while waving her hands.

The bear frowned back, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I don't think you understand just how huge this is-"

"Uh-huh," the blonde nodded sarcastically as she spun back to return to her seat against the wall.

"What are you doing?" the boy asked.

"I'm going back." she replied while daintily brushing the remaining dust from her skirt before sitting down.

"To where?" the cheap toy walked towards her.

"To my rightful place." Pacifica spat as she adjusted her hair back into perfect order before laying back and letting her body fall limp.

"Wait- you- you're just going to sit there?" The doll refused to respond. If she ignored him he might go away. "Hey, hello?" He dropped down to a crouch right in front of her, filling her field of vision with his dark eyes. "You've got to be kidding me." Rolling his black orbs he shifted out of her field of view. A shuffling sounded from beside her as she pretended he didn't exist. It must be the sound of him leaving. It had to be- A sigh interrupted her thoughts. He hadn't left, he'd sat down. "First other conscious toy I've found and it's a crazy doll who wants to act like she's like the rest of them." Her bright blue eyes shot to him to give him a stern glare. Apparently this amused him. "Oh, so all I have to do to get a response out of you is insult you? Ha, this'll be easy."

Pacifica immediately adjusted her eyes back to facing forward and kept her face in its beautiful smiling position.

"Your clothing is ridiculous. Who do you think you're impressing with this stuff?" Somehow his words sounded incredibly familiar to the doll. Frowning, the blonde scoffed.

"You wouldn't understand." Was her only response.

The two sat in silence for some time. Neither had a way of measuring how much passed. While they might've gotten off to a rough start, Pacifica found she rather enjoyed the bear's company.

"Dipper." He said suddenly, breaking their gentle silence. She shot him a confused glance. "My name is Dipper."

"Oh," the blonde said. Offering he dainty, gloved hand to her companion she returned the favor. "I am Pacifica."

"Like the Pacific Ocean? Or the Pacific Northwest?" His words were unfamiliar and yet the last one struck a resonance inside her.

"What are those?" She asked, turning her head to him.

The bear seemed surprised she was unfamiliar with it. "How- how long have you been up here…alone?"

"Well," Pacifica turned her bright blue eyes to the ceiling above them. "I'd have to say as long as I can remember."

"Whoa," they stayed silent for a moment at the implications of that fact. "But… haven't you ever thought about- I don't know- leaving, escaping, seeing what was beyond the shelf?"

"I mean, sure, I've thought about it." The doll spoke wistfully. "But I would never do it."

"Why?"

It was such a simple question yet the blonde found difficulty answering it. "W-well… Its unladylike."

" _What_?" Confusion, and perhaps a hint of disgust filled his tone.

"A lady must sit, look pretty, and do as she is told. I am a doll, the greatest of dolls and, as such, I must be a perfect lady as well."

"You're kidding right?" He was beyond incredulous.

"Ugh. no," Pacifica glared at him. "Don't you get it? I have a responsibility to honor my family and-" the blonde froze as she thought for a moment. Did she have a family? Looking around her wildly, she found only the bear. "Family…" she whispered beneath her breath.

The fuzzy mammal gave her a sympathetic look. "When I first," he started catching her attention, "when I first, uh, _woke up_... I found myself surrounded by lots of other bears. One of them- laying right next to me- was small, about my size, maybe a millimeter taller. She had on a ridiculous sweater with a rainbow design on the front and this huge mop of hair that looked like it could consume a small town. I knew the moment I looked at her that she was my sister. I tried to shake her awake but she never moved. I kept trying, shaking her harder and harder and watching her dumb head just keep lolling back and forth." The doll wasn't a very sympathetic person- or at least so she thought. Yet this story, knowing her companion had gone through this, was causing her to tear up. "Eventually I couldn't see through all the tears- which is weird," his sad story was interrupted by a somehow nerdy interlude, "Not only am I a toy but I'm also a bear. Under no circumstances should I have tear glands." Pacifica fought down a smile. It was somehow adorable."Anyway, I, uh, know how you feel." He shot her a quick glance and she offered a smile in return. The bear awkwardly grinned back and the doll found herself enamored with that crooked grin.

"You know," the blonde said while standing, "I've been looking out from my shelf for so very long. Perhaps it's time for a change of scenery."

Catapulting to his feet, the bear pulled out the large sheet out paper from before at her feet. "Ever since I started wandering I've been making this map." His excited dark eyes looked straight up into hers. "Where do you want to go first?"

Smiling, Pacifica crouched down to get a closer look at the parchment.  
"How about there?"


	2. The Evertree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Dipper is just insane.

Pacifica's pearl heels clacked noisily against the large wooden planks beneath her feet. Dipper's padded bear paws, on the other hand, were almost silent and reminded the doll of the muffled sound of a hug. Glancing back, the blonde noticed the toy's head was hidden behind the large makeshift map, buried deep in contemplation and curiosity. The boy intrigued her; she'd never met anyone like him before- although she couldn't actually remember ever meeting anyone else- but she did know of people and types of people: _genteel gentlemen and arrogant dukes, ignorant peasants, honorable lords and lovely ladies_ \- like herself. Dipper was something else. So fascinated with learning about the world around him that it seemed to her he sometimes forgot to live in it. Instead of looking at the stillness surrounding the two, the eerie beauty of the lifeless toys propped against one another or sprawled on the ground near large structures made of wooden cubes with colorful symbols on them, the bear chose to stare at a piece of paper he knew so well he could recreate it perfectly in a few minutes.

Glaring childishly, the doll decided on a whim to stick her tongue out at him. Of course this was the moment he decided to look up. Stunned and incredulous, the toy stared at her as though insulted. In hopes of preserving any remaining dignity Pacifica spun around and marched forward gracefully, ultimately only running away from the problem. Dipper continued at his casual pace with an obligatory eye roll. The expensive doll confused him greatly. She was so obsessed with ideals that seemed almost archaic to the bear that he sometimes wondered if she was from Victorian England. He'd never met anyone like her- granted he'd never met anyone but her- but he knew of regular personalities: _grumpy old men and fun loving teenagers, goofball children, kind dudes and curious intellectuals_ \- like himself. Pacifica was something else. So obsessed with chasing an ideal that it seemed to him she sometimes forgot to be herself. During their journey to the destination she'd chosen the bear had witnessed her struggle between being a "lady" and being herself; one moment she is loudly laughing at a snarky remark he made and the next her gloved hand is clamped over her mouth as she pretends to find such _plebeian_ humor disdainful. Or one moment the blonde would be making a laughable face at him (for a reason he couldn't possibly uncover) and the next she'd spin around and act as though she'd never do such a childish thing.

Pacifica had stopped, the only reason the bear was able to catch up with her, and, as Dipper approached, he noticed what she was standing on the edge of. "Welcome," he said melodramatically as he waved a furry arm out in front of the two, "to what I like to call the zoo."

The blonde's voice was caught in her throat as she stumbled forward. In front of her was a jungle of colorful plastic structures that fit together in uniquely designed ways. Different buildings with almost impossible to determine purposes were stacked atop, beside, and awkwardly balanced on one another. Overall the structure was massive. All around them were small animals with over-sized heads and large colorful eyes. The bear walked up to one that looked like a dalmatian and casually pushed its head to the side and watched expectantly as it wobbled back and forth.

"Bobble heads," he called out without turning to look at his companion. "These things actually tend to-" glancing over his furred shoulder the boy realized the blonde was gone. "Pacifica?" When silence met his call Dipper's paranoid nature and overactive imagination took over. "Did I imagine her?" he asked while rubbing his forehead in worry. Looking back down at the dog at his feet he continued to speak aloud. "Have I been alone too long?" The toy reached out and poked the over-sized head of the animal. "Have I gone insane?" As the creature nodded the boy felt his throat go dry.

"What are you still doing over there?" Pacifica shouted from the bright pink balcony of one of the buildings. Jumping in fright, the bear looked up at the doll.

Laughing awkwardly, Dipper took off his ball cap to run a paw over his "hair". "Uh, just double checking something. I'll be up in a second." Pulling the brim low to cover his eyes the boy headed in the direction of the entrance to the structure.

The doll felt a mischievous fire ignite in her as she climbed over the railing of the balcony and edged along towards a nearby colorful roof. With a well placed jump she managed to clumsily land on the hard plastic. Pain shot up her legs from her feet as she let out a groan. "Next time," she muttered to herself while stumbling towards an opening she saw, "lets do that without heels." Wincing one last time, the blonde dropped down into the hole. Apparently the entrance she used was primarily for birds as she dropped down on top of a parrot. The stiff, solid feathers poked painfully into her ribs as Pacifica grumbled, "this is getting way less fun." Standing up sore and trying to shake the pain out of her limbs, the doll heard a confused call from above. He'd made it to the balcony. Rushing to a nearby window, the girl stuck her head out and saw the bear looking confused as he scratched his head.

"Pacifica?" He called out again, stumped at the mystery of the disappearing doll. How could Dipper be smart enough to explore, chart, and survive the frozen wonderland they inhabited and still be stupid enough for her to do this? The blonde didn't really care how so long as she could take advantage of the fact.

Trying to stay rational, the boy rubbed at his chin. "Okay Dipper," he muttered under his breath, "either the prim and proper Pacifica is feeling up to a game of tag or you're finally losing it. Or maybe you've already lost it and now you're just experiencing a brief lapse in the delusional fits that have been occurring ever since you climbed up on top of that shelf."

"Dipper!" The blonde shouted again, watching in amusement as the brunette bear jumped again. "You really should be trying harder to keep up!"

Groaning, the toy turned to look at the blonde head outside the window in the next door building. "So Dipper, you can pretend you have no suspicions about her existence and just enjoy even this delusion of company or you can risk alienating the one other conscious being you've met in the name of severely questionable mental sanity." Silence responded to his ultimatum. "Yeah, no one is around to judge me anyway." Racing back down the colorful stairs the boy started to hunt down his prey.

"Seriously!" She shouted from the swing of a strange carousel like contraption, "what is taking you so long?"

"I should remind you," he called back between huffs as he tried to climb up the tall base of the spinning swings, "I am a bear! You really shouldn't antagonize me!"

"Yeah!" The blonde yelled as she used momentum to fly from her swing onto the third floor of another building. "A teddy bear!"

"Hey! I resent that phrase! It-" Dipper paused to collect his breath before shouting again, "it is a derogatory term to my species! Theodore Roosevelt was a murderer of bear kind!" Laughter was the only reply.

-

"So why'd we have to climb up onto this way too tall table to get to where you want to go?" Pacifica huffed as she tried to collect her breath while sitting on the ledge of the table they'd just climbed on top of.

"Because," the bear replied before taking in a quick gasp of air, "this is the only way to see it. The base is surrounded by these huge ceramic walls that are a reddish brown that I've never been able to scale. They're just too," he paused to finish tucking his makeshift grappling hook away in the pockets of his vest, "smooth." When the doll didn't immediately respond he couldn't resist the temptation to say one more thing. "Like me."

"You?" she said with a laugh ready to burst from behind her cheeks. "You're about the farthest person from smooth I've ever met."

"Ha!" Dipper said as he pointed at her triumphantly, "I'm also the only person you've ever met which means I'm also the closest to smooth. I am your coolest, most handsome, smartest, tallest, richest, overall greatest friend. I'm the only one."

"Which also makes you my lamest, ugliest, dumbest, shortest, poorest, and overall worst enemy" The blonde said smugly.

"Yeah, but that's to be expected. I'm basically your everything." He'd said this rather bluntly without realizing the dual meaning behind his words. Pacifica's eyes widened as she took in his words. A blush fought its way onto her cheeks as she lost any ability to reply. The bear's eyes snapped open in realization at his own words. Rather than take the route of silent dignity the blonde had the intellectual opted for bumbling awkwardness with a side of stuttering and stammering. It was a notion that'd been floating in the back of both of their heads but neither was brave enough to confront it.

They were the only two, that they knew of, in the world. What did that make them? Friends? Family? How would their relationship progress over time? Would they always be together? Did that mean they would fall in love? Were they some kind of warped toy Adam and Eve? If they were the only two did that make them soul mates? What if they fell out of love? What if they separated? What if each of them had to go back to being alone? What does it mean to be someone's everything?

There were just too many questions that were too frightening to consider. Coughing loudly to distract them both from the thoughts of their potentially horrifying and altogether unknown fates, Dipper offered a hand up to the doll. "C'mon, it's, uh, it's over this way." He was looking away in embarrassment, not ready to face the awkwardness he'd caused.

Pacifica glanced up only to see his paw and the back of his head. It was comforting to see she wasn't the only one distraught by their very existence. With a small smile she took his offer for help. In spite of his bear body the boy was surprising weak- at least more so than she thought he'd be. It was obvious by the little muscle mass in his arms when helping her up. "Thank you," the blonde said as she patted a layer dust off the skirt of her dress.

"No problem," he replied while turning away. As the brunette bear began to walk away down the table, the girl glanced in the direction of their goal for the first time. Her blue eyes widened in shock as she froze in place.

"Is that-" her voice was barely able to escape her throat but Dipper still heard her.

"Yeah," the boy replied with a smile, glancing back at her for the first time after their minor existential crisis. "That's the Evertree." Just beyond the other end of the table stood a tall twisting batch of thick green vines entangled within each other to create the trunk of a tree that shot up towards the ceiling. Due to their small stature the toys couldn't see the top. Small buds of colorful flowers and thinner, noodle-like vines decorated the large vines in off-shoots and snarled branches. A nearby window's light hit the tree just right to make it light up.

Pacifica walked to stand beside the bear. "Evertree?"

"I call it that because it looks like it goes on forever."

"Oh." The doll couldn't tear her eyes away. It was beautiful, It was magical. It was- the gorgeous sight was interrupted by a brown blob moving amongst the greenery. "Dipper?!" She shouted indignantly as her only friend scaled the tree.

"What?" He shouted while getting comfortable on a branch.

"You're ruining it!" When he didn't immediately respond Pacifica tried to justify herself. "You can't just- Look at it! It's so-"

"Alive?" Dipper called back with a grin. Looking her straight in the eyes the bear affirmed, "I know! That's the point!" He continued climbing up leaving her with a shout of, "you better hurry up or you'll miss it!"

"What?" The doll watched as her companion disappeared into the canopy. Furrowing her brow in confusion the blonde took off her heels and began to climb the tree. "What am I going to miss?!" She called after the boy. It wasn't until she was a quarter of the way from the top that she found the bear again. He was sitting on a branch that twisted in just the right way for two toys to sit down and stare out across the land they were in.

Noticing her, Dipper called her over with a hurried arm wave and a shout of "it's about to start!" Pacifica wobbled her way over to the seat before plopping down next to her friend. Following his gaze the blonde looked down below for the first time. So much of the room could be seen from here and she began to understand why the bear was so obsessed with making note of it all. In a strange way, it was beautiful.

A paw was suddenly underneath her chin and tilted her head upwards. "You're looking in the wrong place," the bear's soft voice murmured. Her eyes were directed towards the window that'd made the tree light up earlier. She watched as the light seemed to dance and change shape until finally a rainbow full of bright colors, even brighter than her dress, emerged. Just as she began to revel in the beauty her only friend decided to speak up. "How cool is that? I'm pretty sure that because of the refraction of light in the gla-"

Her elbow in his side caused him to lose all the air in his lungs as she politely told him, "shut up, Dipper."

Wheezing slightly Dipper let out a pained laugh.


	3. The House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's play the name that reference game!

It had been the best week of Pacifica's life- not that she would admit it to the bear. Never before had the the doll seen so much, experienced so much, _lived_ so much. Never before had she not be alone. But it was a lot to take in after a lifetime of stillness and she was reaching the end of her rope. The blonde needed to rest for at least a little while; she was overloaded and it was showing. Dipper sat on the ground in front of her working on the map. He'd wanted to continue exploring into the unknown with her and at first it had been fun. It really had but Pacifica couldn't keep up with his curiosity. She just wanted a break and she wanted him to take it with her. At the current rate the doll was being dragged along and the beauty of novelty was being corrupted by how frustrated she was.

"Dipper," she said while sitting down beside him. "Listen, I-"

With a smile he turned to look at her. "Yeah, I know," the girl blinked in surprise. "Sorry it took me so long to pick up on it. I saw a building in the distance that we can take a break in till you're not as tired." Pointing to a boxy shape on the horizon, the bear continued, "I haven't been to this area of the room yet so it'll be a nice focal point for exploration."  
Her cheeks flushed as she spun her head away from him. "Yeah well, you should've noticed sooner."

"Yes," he drawled while gently pushing himself to a standing position. "I should've really worked harder on my mind reading skill set. I'll get right on that." Again the boy offered her his paw to get up. The doll took it with little hesitation. "From my calculations we should get there after half an hour of walking." Groaning Pacifica glared at Dipper. "Hate my inability to read minds all you want but you can't fault my math."

"If you're going to read minds you might as well learn how to teleport us everywhere," the blonde sassed back.

"And why am I pulling all the superpower weight? How about I learn how to read minds and you can learn how to teleport?" The brunette bear replied as he began to walk. "So until you get on top of that whole teleporting thing, the only person you can blame for having to walk is yourself."

The closer they got to the dollhouse the more the doll felt her heart swell: the beautifully intricate detailing and wooden architecture, the pristine condition, the massive size. She didn't want to just stay there for a little while, Pacifica wanted to live there. Maybe she could convince Dipper to make it their base of operations- more than anything she wanted to go inside. She wanted to see what was inside. She needed to see what was inside.

Once they were close enough the blonde began running towards the building. The bear watched in surprise as the girl sprinted to the double doors and slammed them wide open to get inside. Choosing again to simply continue his own slow pace, the boy ambled in after her. Upon entering the brunette bear observed the surroundings curiously. Incredible detail went into each piece of furniture making an almost completely human experience. As Dipper sat down on the expertly crafted camelback loveseat that posed gracefully in the large living room, he became immersed in the fantasy of being the ultimate life form- a human. Looking around himself, the boy convinced himself he was a normal homo sapien sapien offspring. Why was he in such a fancy (doll)house? Well he wasn't a rich person although Pacifica probably was. Perhaps Dipper was visiting his similarly human friend in her luxurious mansion. He decided to reevaluate the room with his companion in mind. The overly ornate decor was certainly in line with Pacifica's tastes. Standing back up the boy walked casually around the room while inspecting some of the finer touches to the room. He'd leaned down slightly to look at an intricate Ming styled vase sitting on top of an antique doily but when he glanced up Dipper caught his reflection in the mirror on the wall.

The bear stared at his furred face in shock. "That's right," the toy reminded himself, "you're a bear." Frowning angrily the bear raised his fists to slam down in frustration when a scream caused him to freeze.

Dipper rushed up the beautifully carved grand staircase in the direction of the noise. What had happened? Was Pacifica okay? Something had to be wrong- the boy was knocked down from a colliding force.

Upon opening his eyes he found himself looking at a mountain of colorful cloth. It began to shake violently before revealing a blonde head that popped out from the peak. Her sapphire blue eyes immediately fell on him and she let out a squeal.

"Dipper!" Pacifica said as she bundled all the clothes in her arms before forcefully grabbing one of his paws, "I found clothes!" With strength the bear hasn't known the doll to have, the blonde dragged the bear to an upstairs room. Antique dividers, armoires, vanities, and mirrors were dotted about the space with a large, very expensive looking rug spread out on the wooden floor. Small rooms with curtains for doors functioned as dressing rooms while adjustable mannequins stood around a desk with sewing supplies neatly stacked on top. A pink floral pattern was reiterated throughout different parts of the room, bringing a cohesiveness to the very full room.

The doll shoved a mass of dark cloth into the bear's furry arms. "Put this on!" She said cheerily. The two toys stood still, staring at one another in silence.

"You're kidding, right?" His voice was deadpan, comically so, but his companion wasn't laughing.

"No, go put it on." There was still a hint of cheer in her tone but it was mostly just authority speaking.

"I'm not playing dress up, Pacifica." The boy tried to assert himself but ended up sounding more like a prepubescent tween whose voice was just beginning to crack.

The blonde grinned smugly as she pushed her friend towards a dressing room."Oh, but you will play dress up, Dipper." Shoving the bear through one of the floral print curtains, the doll clasped her hands in satisfaction before walking into an adjacent fitting room.

He didn't know why he went along with it; there was no clear reason as to why the toy obeyed his friend's demands, especially since the outfit she'd given him to wear was so incredibly uncomfortable, but he had done as such. Tugging on the tight collar vice gripping his neck, the boy stepped out from behind the curtain. Growling in frustration he muttered loudly, "it's like this collar is strangling me." Those words got stuck in his brain, as though they'd stepped in some kind of residue on their way out of his head. Stuck in his consciousness, the sentence turned itself over and over in his head and a twinge of familiarity morphed his uncategorized confusion into deja vu confusion. He'd said them before- but when? Or had he said them? Perhaps the shock of going from complete isolation- constant loneliness in which the bear could only talk to himself for what seemed to be eternity- to cohabitation with an individual so separate from him and entirely unique to him that his brain was perplexed about just about everything that'd once been familiar, perceiving it all through a new paradigm.

The quick scrape of metal on metal alerted Dipper to the adjacent fitting room's curtain being dramatically pulled away. Out strode the blonde in a large and poofy dress that could only be described as that of a princess. Sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline and layers of white fabric, some sheer, some opaque, some solid, creating a skirt that flowed down to her ankles, the dress was stunning. The focal point seemed to be the golden star embroidered in the center of the waist with a large rose quartz gem place at its core. Dipper couldn't tear his eyes away. His fat furred finger was still wedged between his neck and the collar of his shirt. A sudden muscle spasm caused his arm to jerk forward and tear the black cloth that covered his fuzzy torso. Stumbling back in embarrassment his sleeve caught on a golden hook embedded in the wall and tore away from his shoulder completely. The bear merely stared at the ruined shirt in horror before suddenly grasping the other sleeve the brunette boy ripped the cloth away.

"Uh," he struggled to explain his impulse, "now its symmetrical?"

Pacifica watched the awkward mess that was her best friend in action with a small smile. It was so easy to imagine him as a real human with his thoughts and faults always on display. The doll took a moment to admire the bear in his torn black shirt with a yellow star painted in the center. It was a close fit- suiting of an adorkable character like him but it was off. Not that she minded- in fact, the blonde was pleased. This meant she'd get to dress Dipper up in more clothing- this meant more fun.

What followed really should've been a movie montage and the bear found himself regretting that he wasn't the star of a cheesy 90s romcom so he could experience how perfectly it would've translated to montage format. The boy somehow forgot to complain about each outfit that was shoved in his arms as he got caught in the whirlwind of Pacifica's jubilation. She was so lively, excited, happy- Dipper couldn't get in the way of that. However he could silently resent the futile cycle of being forced to change garments every five minutes- an oversized orange hoodie, a red plaid button up many sizes too big underneath a blue sweater, a red jacket from around 1999, a confederate cloak and red cone hat, a black wife beater with a crudely drawn white skull, a bright orange t-shirt accompanied by a black beanie with white stripes running up the sides, a blue t-shirt and polar bear-esque hat, a white t-shirt with red hems and a red oval in the center, a yellow and orange striped button up under a designer half jacket, a white button up purposely asymmetrical with a small black sweater vest- it was infinite.

"Last one," Pacifica promised for the fifth time as she placed a bundle of black cloth in his arms. The blonde left him to change as she carried a lakefoam green dress into her secluded space. Dressing up for the supposed 'last time', the bear frowned at his reflection. A black suit encased his body like a sweaty palm; his fur was pressed down tightly and his skin couldn't breathe. This had to be his least favorite. "Hmm," the doll's voice caught his attention. Turning around Dipper found his friend in a simple yet elegant dress. It was strapless with a darker shade of lakefoam forming a ribbon that wrapped around her waist. Waves of the same color decorated the bottom hem of the skirt. "I like it on you."  
Maybe the suit wasn't his least favorite after all.

Coughing awkwardly, the boy rubbed furiously at the back of his neck while tilting his head down to look at the floor. "Uh, thanks. Yours- uhm, yours looks really, uh, nice on you too." The nervous laugh thrown in at the end was the cherry on top.

"You think?" The blonde stood in front of a mirror, grasped the skirts of her dress, and twirled. "Yeah," her smile widened as she gazed at her reflection, "I kinda like it." Nodding the doll looked back at her reflection, "I kinda like it." Nodding the doll looked back at her friend. "This is what we'll wear for the rest of the day."

"I'm stuck in this uncomfortable suit all day?" The bear asked incredulously.

"Yep," Pacifica said smugly while flipping her golden blonde locks over her shoulder. "All. Day. Long."

-

It was strange- sitting around the luxurious dining room table. As toys, the two had no need to consume food and metabolize it for energy yer in the late afternoon the pair found they'd unconsciously gravitated to the large, polished wood furniture. Before either realized it they'd sat down and begun to make small talk suited to be over a meal. Dipper had almost let slip a _"this food is delicious"_ before clamping his mouth shut.

Clearing her throat politely and struggling to prevent her hands from dotting her mouth with an invisible napkin, Pacifica turned to the bear. "We still have so much of the house left to explore." He was given no time to respond before she continued. "I was thinking we'd split up; you take the east wing, I'll take the west. See what we find and meet up an hour or so later."

"Uh, yeah," the boy wasted no time answering her just to make sure he could get a word in edgewise, "sounds like a plan."

The following few moments were saturated in an awkward tenseness that, for once, Dipper didn't feel responsible for. "So," the doll spoke softly with her crystalline eyes directed down and away from her companion, "it occurred to me that- maybe, ya know… since this house is so great and we kind of need some type of headquarters place… couldn't we, like, make this that?" She bit her lip in frustration before looking her friend in the eyes- his shiny black beads bore straight through her. Standing abruptly, Pacifica marched away with an indignant mutter of, "I'm going to start looking."

Dipper bit back a chuckle before the meaning behind her actions finally sunk in. He was afraid of this- that she'd get attached to this place. The thought that she would relapse and return to her sedentary state had the bear worried at all times. This place- this dollhouse- was pulling his friend in and the boy was terrified he wouldn't be able to tear her away. One of the reasons he was so obsessed with exploring, constantly moving from place to place, was to remind himself of his own consciousness and give himself a purpose to not just sit down and join the lifeless masses.

This dollhouse was a trap. It was so exquisite, so beautiful, and so perfect that a toy just wanted to sit down and be perfect with it- especially a toy like Pacifica. It would be so easy to just give up. Chewing the inside of his cheek furiously, Dipper considered her words: a base of operations wasn't a bad idea. The blonde didn't have as much endurance as he did and this way they could collect artifacts; the two could catalogue them and try to identify- well, it would probably be just him but she'd laugh and maybe even feign curiosity. I could be great.

Or it could be the end, which was the last thing he wanted. Truth be told the bear couldn't really remember a time before his meeting the doll atop the shelf anymore. Sure, he had memories but they didn't feel "real". They were flaky and watery and were more akin to memories of memories. Actually, they felt _almost_ -

A flash of yellow light distracted Dipper and cut off his train of thought. What had he been thinking about? The bear frowned as he rubbed his furred temples. Blinking his eyes rapidly, the boy noticed a strange triangle afterimage in the center of his line of sight. Oh right, he was supposed to search the east wing for Pacifica. Standing silently, the befuddled intellectual left the room.

-

Pacifica frustratedly slammed doors after opening them. She didn't want to damage the varnish but she was so- so emotional. Ladies weren't supposed to act like this- she was acting like- like Dipper. Running her svelte fingers through her blonde locks, the doll froze and tore her hand away from her hair. She was even imitating his mannerisms! With an upset sigh, the girl opened the door to her right.

Her breath vacated her lungs in a rush as she was hit with a strong sense of familiarity. It was her bedroom. Shaking her head the blonde corrected herself: it was her bedroom now. The room was perfect, so supremely perfect that she didn't even notice herself walk into it. Laying on the plush, luxurious comforter- was that down?- Pacifica let out a relaxed sigh. Such utter perfection was therapeutic to the ladylike doll. It was a comforting confirmation that her pursuit of high society had not been in vain. It meant she was right and Dipper was wrong.

Recalling the boy's existence, the blonde's face scrunched up in embarrassment. How could she have lost her cool like that? It's not like there was anything wrong with her wanting to stay. He would understand- the bear had to understand. He was Dipper. The softness of the bed called out to the troubled girl- calming her, sweetly soothing away any worries that her sudden life of activity had spawned.

It would be so easy to just stay comfortably snuggled in her bed forever. To forget the stress, the confusion, her fate. Pacifica could return to her life before- the steady peace. _No tumultuous emotions bubbling up underneath her skin. No fear tugging at her sanity. No exhausting trips though a disturbingly still world. No Dipper_. That last conscious thought passing through the blonde's mind would haunt her when she returned from the world of slumber.

_

Staring wide-eyed at what lay in the room before him, Dipper knew he'd be haunted forever by the sight. His fists shook as the boy fought to regain muscle control. He couldn't- he couldn't face this. Slamming the door violently shut, his paws dug into the fur on his scalp. The brunette bear slumped against the wall while feeling his muscles clench involuntarily. How could this- of all things- the worst possible thing! Taking a deep shuddering breath, the boy struggled to understand what he could do. What could he possibly d- the answer came to him in an instant: find Pacifica.

A motley of rushed, uneven steps formed the speedy and unsteady stumbling fast walk the horrified boy used to escape the east wing and search through the west. Panic gripped him like a vice as he made his way through the west halls, trying to find any sign of his only friend. His black bead eyes fell upon the only open door he'd stumbled upon since the beginning of his quest. Taking careful, wobbly steps towards the entryway, Dipper held his breath. Sprawled out on a bed that couldn't possibly belong to anyone but the doll, the blonde was fast asleep.

A shaky sigh fell from his fuzzy maw as he settled against the doorframe. Pacifica looked so peaceful, so calm, so content- the boy couldn't have been more jealous if he tried. But perhaps this was for the better- if she'd seen him in the state he'd been in she have known that something was- afoot? bothering him? horribly, horribly wrong? going to tear them apart?

All of the above?

Walking forward quietly, the bear approached his slumbering companion. His relatively large form loomed over the blonde. Dipper stared frustratedly at his shadow which spread across her limp form like a blanket- a large furry mass: misshapen, inhuman. Clenching his fist, the toy turned away and mentally gut punched himself for letting his thoughts stray the way they had. The brunette bear looked back at his friend, noting a slight shiver run across her shoulders. With a whisper of a sigh, he glanced around the room for a blanket the doll wasn't on top of.

His search proved fruitless so he set to work. Lifting her lithe figure, the toy thanked whatever it was that made her as light as she was (genetics? a silent deity overlooking the statuesque world?). Dipper set the blonde on the far side of the bed so that he could pull back the comforter on the other side. Once Pacifica was situated nicely beneath the plush, extravagant blanket, the intellectual stretched himself out a bit before leaving the room. It was only after the door was closed behind him that the grimace on his face returned.

These happy times of theirs were in danger. He wanted them to last forever but at what cost? Dipper had been right to think that the dollhouse was dangerous. With a barely muffled groan, the bear resolved to think about the problem somewhere it might not bother the sleeping Pacifica.


	4. The Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Rude.

Pacifica stood haughtily, a hand on the hip she'd stuck out and a fierce look of superiority on her face. Brushing back a lock of blonde hair in a manner only befitting of a true fashionista, the girl knew her station in life. Before her stood a boy- scrawny, awkward, determined. There was a challenge in his eyes that the doll found herself excited to face. He was cute (for a _commoner_ ); the smirk on his face made her worry that he might've known that. His fluffy brown hair stuck out from under his dorky tourist cap and fell over his eyes. A slight head-tilt upwards left the brown orbs in full view. He looked so familiar.

"Pacifica." That voice- the blonde knew that voice. It was Di- "You're the worst." As though a door had been slammed in her face, the heiress stumbled back. She actually felt _hurt_. Since when did the opinions of plebeians give her pause? A tingling sensation ignited in her hands. Looking down the girl gasped when she saw her fingers: her human flesh and blood fingers. She was- a small line seemed to form out of the skin of her digits pinching together on the side. The line grew deeper and longer as the skin around it seemed to change. Pacifica watched in horror as her flesh turned into cloth and the seam raced its way up her arm. She was a doll.

Looking up at the boy, desperate for any form of help, the fashionista stared in abject terror as the stranger grasped a brown furry mass that'd taken over his arm. Panic was written across his features as the monstrosity began to sprout from pores along his neck. Pacifica could do nothing to help as he fell to his knees, shaking from either pain or fear or both, as his body was overrun by the fur.

Somewhere the blonde could hear someone cackling.

-

Shooting up in her bed, the blonde greedily gulped down air as she tried to gain her bearings. She glared around the room, noting the early morning sunlight pouring in from a window. As the doll moved to get up she realized she had somehow ended up underneath the covers of the bed, Could Dipper have-

Upon remembering her companion, Pacifica felt her throat clench. He'd been in her dream- or was it better called a nightmare? Whatever it was, it drove her to find the bear, to make sure he wasn't toppled over in pain. Slipping out of her bed and into the halls, the girl began her search. It was such a large house with so many rooms. It could take her hours to- a light and almost puppy-esque snoring came from a room down the hall. Oh, well that was easy.

Tip-toeing into the room, the blonde noted it was a study. Bookshelves lined the walls with comfy reading chairs situated nearby. On the far wall was a wooden desk and chair and in that chair, with his face slumped down onto the hard surface of the desk, was Dipper. Pacifica didn't fight the smile that made its way onto her face- leave it to Dipper to fall asleep in, not only not a bedroom but, the least comfortable place in the entire room. It looked like there was a pad of paper wedged beneath his head. Resolving to snoop later, the doll simply admired her companion. Honestly, what would she do without-

_No tumultuous emotions bubbling up underneath her skin. No fear tugging at her sanity. No exhausting trips though a disturbingly still world. No Dipper._

Clasping her arms around herself, the toy let out a gasp. Had she honestly thought that? Biting into her lip, her crystalline blue eyes darted around the room for something- she didn't know what but anything. Yet all she could see was the slumbering bear. He was essential to her survival. If not for him, she'd still be on that shelf and she'd still be alone. Loneliness was terrifying now that she'd seen what companionship had to offer. To be honest Pacifica doubted that there was anything that could tear them apart.

Right now she needed him- preferably awake- to calm her still flustered heart. A snarky quip from him would set it right. The blonde needed equilibrium. She needed to be calm. With that in mind, Pacifica took hold of the fluffy brown shoulders and shook her friend violently. "Dipper!" She had intended to sound much less panicked than her voice ended up conveying; the blonde didn't want to appear so fragile that she couldn't cope with something so silly and insubstantial as a nightmare. She would've tried even harder not to sound scared had she known how the bear would react to the sound of her unwary tone. "Dipper wake up!"

All at once the toy was awake and moving. His head flew backwards as he tried to scramble to his feet before his gangly legs got tangled in those of the chair sending him toppling to the ground with the doll beneath him. While his fur cushioned the blow of his body landing on top of her's, there was nothing to lessen the impact of her back to the cold, hard, wooden floor.

It seemed to take a moment for Dipper to process the position the two were in. He wasn't human so the bear was relatively sure there were no hormones to go haywire or a heart to start thumping erratically hidden within his stuffing yet he still felt an intense emotional surge. Somehow intimacy embarrassed him despite the toys being the only two conscious 'people' in their small world. Her lithe form being pressed between his own and the ground shouldn't elicit any reaction from a stuffed bear and yet- Every fiber of his being participated in the mad scramble to distance himself from his only friend.

"P-Pacifica!" His puberty-stricken voice squeaked in surprise as he stumbled backwards. Catching himself on the edge of the desk the bear used the furniture to support his shaking body. "Wha-" He coughed loudly to try and get his vocal chords back under control. "What are you- what do you need?"

"I," the blonde couldn't admit that she'd had a nightmare about him. What did she need?, "I figured that you'd probably want to change out of the suit you find so uncomfortable." Her words caused the bear to examine the now rumpled black clothing encasing his form. She could tell by the look on his face that he'd completely forgotten about it. "We are civilized peo-," Pacifica coughed, "toys and shouldn't wear the same clothes every day if we can help it."

The bear looked concerned. "Are you sure that's it? You sounded-"

"I sounded what?" The doll snapped back. He frowned at her and she felt her heart fold in on itself. "Lets- come on!" She tried to make herself sound excited again. "I want to pick your outfit for today too!"

-

Dipper blinked. Frowning, he observed his surroundings. He was sitting on one of the many regal couches in the parlor and doing- doing what? The bear scratched at the side of his head with one of his paws. Nothing? He'd been doing nothing but sit for- for how long? Dread washed over him as the toy scrambled to his feet to seek out his only friend.

"H-hey," his voice was raw, as though he hadn't spoken at all in a couple days. "Hey!" The plushie tried again, clearing his throat. "Pacifica?" Climbing up the stairs, Dipper continued speaking if only to remind himself of the gravity of the situation. "Pacifica, hey, this- this is really bad! This place, this dollhouse, it is dangerous! We need-" His voice died at the sight of the blonde. She had changed into yet another dress, this one a soft lavender with pastel blue lace accents, and was perched perfectly still, staring blankly forward. Just like the first time he met her. "Pa- hey! Pacifica!" The bear's voice was tense as he cried out.

After a long, painful moment the doll seemed to register his call. She blinked and jolted upright a bit before glancing at her friend. "Ye-" the toy frowned at the sound of her own voice. It crackled like dry leaves. The second time she spoke, it was with more conviction. "Yes, Dipper?" The blonde asked, trying her damnedest to sound sweet.

"When was the last time we moved?" He spoke softly, terrified. Pacifica paused to take stock of her friend's appearance. Something had ruffled his fur quite harshly. Then she allowed herself to mull over his question. When was the last time she had moved? Pacifica frowned. When- Oh god, how long had she been sitting there? No wonder Dipper was terrified. Turning to face the bear, the doll wrung her hands fearfully.

"I don't know."

Dipper ran a paw through that tuft of fur on his head. "We can't- we can't stay here, Pacifica." Immediately, the doll's hands balled into fists.

"What do you mean?" She asked bitterly.

"Pacifica," the toy replied, trying to be patient, "this place is sucking the life out of us-"

"You don't know that!" Rather than listen to anything he had to say, the blonde chose to scramble to her feet and make a mad dash down the hall. Her limbs flailed awkwardly, still waking up, while the doll charged forward. She didn't know where she was going- all she knew is that she wanted to lose her only friend in the wicked, bittersweet labyrinth around them. There was a door ahead that was just slightly ajar. Pacifica darted into it without a second thought, Dipper's strangled, distressed cry following after her.

The moment her embroidered eyes adjusted to the darkness, she froze in place.

What had Dipper said? He knew the moment he looked at her that she was his sister. Pacifica knew. In front of her was a group of dolls. The majority were nondescript and rather shabby, the staff, but two stood out. Both were crafted exceptionally, with as much precision and lavish detail as the blonde herself. They were her parents.

She fell to her knees in front of the two dolls dressed in the most elegant fineries. A pale, shaking hand stretched out to collect the dust from her mother's cheek. Floorboards creaked behind her. Dipper. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to gather her voice, "they're- Dipper, they're my-"

"Your parents," the bear finished. Something about the way his tone was devoid of emotion enraged Pacifica. She whirled on him. Everything was out of balance. It all felt wrong: the air, her emotions, her skin, Dipper. She was so hurt, she needed someone else to feel pain too. Dipper was the only other one here.

"Get out! Get out of my house!" Pacifica screamed as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears.

He seemed shocked by her sudden emotional outburst. "Pa-"

"Leave!" She screeched at the top of her nonexistent lungs.

"We both need to!" He shouted back, his own temper responding to hers. "If you stay here-"

"If I stay here," the blonde interrupted him as she walked forward, shoving him backwards with each step, "then I'll never have to see you again. I won't have to be dragged along on your dumb adventures, listen to your stupid, boring rants about the joy of exploration, or put up with your ugly, commoner mug." She needed to be alone. She needed to return to the time before Dipper, when her whole world was on top of a shelf. She was never afraid, sad, angry, or happy. She was just there. Pacifica needed to be there again.  
Dipper was reaching his own breaking point. Everything she'd said had struck a chord, playing off fears he'd desperately tried to keep hidden from her. With his last bit of self control, the bear made one last attempt. "You'll be like them."

"That's what I want," she stated resolutely as she pushed him out of the room. "Now get the fuck out of my home." With that she slammed the door in his face.


End file.
